Trademarks are important so that companies can keep people from stepping all over their brand, and few companies have their products as uniformly branded as Apple. They have the iPhone, iPad, iMac, iEtc. It made sense that they tried to get a trademark on the iPad mini, but they were denied one by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office which said the addition of "mini" was merely descriptive."

Thanks to another crowdfunding victory, the PengPod, a $100 tablet capable of dual booting Android and a full desktop version of Linux, is becoming reality. The PengPod is expected to start shipping to IndieGoGo contributors next month. Anyone else who wants to get their hands on one will have to wait, but the kind of audience that would want a $100 Linux tablet is probably made up of people who would kick in $100 to an IndieGoGo project to make one happen. I only wish I had heard about this sooner.

People really want to get their hands on Apple's latest devices, regardless of what they are. It is known. That's why they're such a big target when it comes to theft, and the iPad Mini's no different. With a caper that appears to be ripped straight from any generic heist movie, a pair of thieves managed to scamper off with two pallets of the gadgets -- worth $1.5 million -- from JFK airport late Monday night.

If you're Amazon, the world's largest online retailer, using your homepage to call out a competitor is one of the most prominent ways to do so. Following the iPad Mini announcement by Apple, there have been many comparisons made to Amazon's Kindle Fire tablets. The majority of these have wondered how Apple intends to compete effectively when there are other options available that have higher specifications while still managing to be cheaper. Amazon's asking the same question by directly comparing the capabilities of Apple's offering to their own.

When it comes to Apple, things tend to move very quickly. Apple announces the iPad Mini, and it's available the next week. Apple releases one version of the iPad, and then they release a new one just seven months later. Apple releases a new product, and Apple's critics make funny videos at Apple's expense.
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Today, Apple announced what pretty much everyone expected: the iPad Mini. If you were already in the camp that the iPad is "just a bigger iPod Touch" or "a big iPhone that can't make phone calls," read on for iPad Mini details to find out if you'll say the same about Apple's new device.

It's finally time, folks. October 23rd means Apple's "special event" is actually upon us. If current speculation is correct, the company is all set to announce a smaller version of their widely-adopted iPad. Whether it will actually be called the "iPad Mini" is up for debate, but it's almost certainly on the docket to be revealed. Who knows? Maybe they'll actually unveil something surprising. The show starts at 1 P.M. EST and 10 A.M. in California.

When it comes to Apple, there's always some new device on the horizon for the internet to talk about. That's how they maintain their futuristic, right? Well, with the iPhone 5 in stores and the iPad mini potentially on the verge of seeing the light of day, I think it's fair to say that it's time move on to the generation of mysterious new toys potentially in development, don't you? According to MacRumors, Apple may already be working with developers on apps for a next-generation iPad. (Cue shocked face.)

As iPhone 5 and iPad Mini rumors continue to build in the days leading up to the Apple's likely reveal event next month, images of Apple's new iPhone and iPad connector, a much smaller 9-pin plug that will replace Apple's standard 32-pin docking port, making every iPod, Phone, and Pad accessory you've ever bought obsolete.